Fire Breaks Out at Waste Sorting Facility in Samut Sakhon

Picture from responders.

At approximately 21:30 on 7 January 2025, a fire broke out at Samut Sakhon Natural Clean Energy Co., Ltd., located at 65/1 Moo 3, Bang Thorat Subdistrict, Mueang District, Samut Sakhon Province. The facility specialises in sorting municipal solid waste for recycling and disposal.

The fire erupted inside one of the facility’s four warehouses, covering an area of approximately two rai. Firefighters from Bang Thorat Subdistrict Administrative Organisation (SAO), along with support from nearby areas, dispatched over 20 fire engines to tackle the blaze and prevent it from spreading to the other three warehouses.

A large water reservoir adjacent to the factory proved instrumental as a suitable and adequate water supply, in the firefighting efforts. After several hours of efforts, the fire was brought under control. Samut Sakhon Governor Narit Niramaivong, Mueang District Chief Rattanapan Thueksakul, and Anutat Pangputhipong, Head of the Provincial Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office, were on site to oversee operations.

Preliminary investigations led by Pol. Sub. Lt. Tanachot Laopoonphon from Bang Thorat Police Station revealed that the fire likely started due to excessive heat build up, caused by the compression of waste piles. 

A foreign worker at the facility reported that no one else. was present in the warehouse at the time of the incident. The worker, responsible for loading waste onto conveyor belts, stated that the fire began as a small blaze but quickly escalated within five minutes, prompting an urgent call for emergency services.

The affected warehouse housed unprocessed municipal waste awaiting sorting. Damage was confined to the building, conveyor machinery, and waste piles. Authorities will now collaborate with forensic investigators from the Samut Sakhon Provincial Police to determine the exact cause of the fire.

Samut Sakhon Natural Clean Energy Co., Ltd. operates as a municipal waste sorting and recycling business, producing compacted waste bales for sale to industries or disposal facilities. The company sends non-recyclable waste to authorised disposal sites in compliance with legal regulations.

-- 2025-01-09